When you are purchasing a home, you will have to undergo a home inspection before you should sign any papers or put money into escrow. Many factors go into this home inspection. Your expert home inspector will make sure electrical wires are hidden and in good shape, and they will test and look for mold spores. A good home inspector will check the house from top to bottom, inside and out. It is not customary to accompany your home inspector during the inspection, especially into crawl spaces. In fact, it can slow things down significantly and increase your costs. Following your home inspector into crawl spaces may also present a liability issue for the inspection company.
Crawlspace safety concerns
In older homes, accompanying your home inspector into the crawlspace could be a safety hazard. At times, crawlspaces contain poisonous spiders, exposed wiring, and general decay that comes with an aging structure. Many potential home buyers are shocked to learn that a home inspector will always wiggle into a crawlspace, provided there is an entrance point they can fit through and that there are no apparent safety issues. To be passable, an entrance should be between a foot and a half and two feet wide. The area should be free from debris, especially in the entrance.
Not all crawlspaces are completely accessible, because of mitigating factors like air-conditioning ducts, material obstruction, and general wear and tear. Glass, electrical wiring that is exposed, and other safety hazards might also prevent a home inspector from being able to get in a crawlspace. Mold spores can also present respiratory issues, and a home inspector will not enter a crawlspace with significant and dangerous mold.
It is not customary to accompany your home inspector into a crawlspace. In fact, this could present some safety issues that your home inspector is not equipped to deal with and may not be insured to work around. If you are intent on getting in a crawlspace to check on the status of spaces underneath your home, wait until the home inspector has been inside and has cleared it as safe.
You should also know what you’re looking for when you are in a crawlspace, as an untrained eye may not pick up on things that an expert home inspector would. You are looking for moisture, structural damage, cracks, and broken beams. You are also looking for vapor barriers, moisture, and any indication that there has been damage by animals or previous homeowners. If you don’t trust your home inspector to find things out, hire a different company. If you are not an expert, it will be safer to avoid entering a crawlspace.
Southern California homes for sale
GlobalPoint Relocation is a full-scale real estate company that helps people with Southern California relocation. GlobalPoint has the know-how and resources to help you understand what’s best to focus on during your move. Learn more by giving us a call at 562.221.0055 to tour a property today.
Published on 2017-09-07 15:37:57
